title: [Pervasive developmental disorders screening program in the health areas of Salamanca and Zamora in Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the results of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) screening program currently ongoing in the public health services in the health area of Salamanca and Zamora, Spain, in terms of feasibility, reliability and costs, with the purpose of extending the program at regional and national levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 paediatric teams (nurses and paediatricians) from the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora participated in the training sessions for the PDD Screening Programme in September 2005, and agreed to administer the questionnaire M-CHAT(1) to all parents attending their clinics in any of these two visits: 18 months and/or 24 months within the Well-baby Check-up Program. A total of 9,524 children have participated up to December 2012. Additionally, we evaluated the participation and opinions of the paediatric teams using questionnaires, and costs per positive case have estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of a total of 852 (8.9%) children determined as PDD high-risk with the M-CHAT questionnaire results, 61 (7.1%) were confirmed as positive with the M-CHAT follow-up interview. Of these, 22 were diagnosed with a PDD and 31 other disorders of childhood onset according to DSM-IV-TR(2). Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents felt the program was totally feasible, and 22% viable, but with reservations (n=54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has been able to show for the first time in Spain, the feasibility of a population-based PDD screening program within the public health system. Training in social and communicative development, and dissemination of the early signs of PDD among paediatricians, as well as the use of the M-CHAT, is essential for progress in the early detection of these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España. Electronic address: pgarciaprimo@isciii.es.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García Primo
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neurología Pediátrica, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santos Borbujo
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Integración en la Comunidad (INICO), Universidad de Salamanca, Facultad de Educación, Salamanca, España.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Martín Cilleros
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Salud Mental Infanto-Juvenil, Hospital Provincial de Zamora, Zamora, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez Velarte
authors.affiliation: Gerencia Regional de Salud, Consejería de Sanidad de Castilla y León, Valladolid, España.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lleras Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Posada de la Paz
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Integración en la Comunidad (INICO), Universidad de Salamanca, Facultad de Educación, Salamanca, España.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Canal Bedia
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Atención Primaria; Autism; Autismo; Cribado; Detección precoz; Diagnosis; Diagnóstico; Early detection; M-CHAT; Primary health care; Screening